Inspiration

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A.H

Audrey Hepburn (among others) is a huge inspiration to me in terms of my style over the last 20 years.  She was a classic and even now, I don’t really believe there has been any other Hollywood icon to rival her in terms of uniqueness.  She also harks back to the age of old Hollywood glamour that I just love.  Women were real women and they used to dress up just to buy a pint of milk (or at least instruct their housekeeper to do so!).

From the minute she graced our screens in Breakfast at Tiffany’s oh so many years ago, that tiny elfin figure is responsible for influencing literally thousands of women in terms of not only fashion and style but posture and manners.  Audrey had grace and elegance, traits that are so easily lost these days (in the era of Vicky Pollards and The Royle Family!!).  People magazine voted her one of the “50 most beautiful people in the world” and in 1996, 3 years after her death, Harpers and Queen conducted a poll to find the most fascinating women of our time and Audrey was right at the top.

Just like George Peppard, I too fell in love with Holly Golightly and her adorably independent ginger cat. Her cheekiness, naivety and ability to look fabulously “coiffured” in under 5 minutes were her trademarks. However in terms of her personal style and the fashion rules that she lived by ……here are a few from a favourite book of mine -  “Audrey Style” by Pamela Clearke Keogh

The Essentials:

·         A little black dress. Enough said

·         A sleeveless sheath dress (a tunic or shift dress to you and me)

·         The white shirt. Tucked in, tied at the front, embellished, worn lose with a belt. Just worn – period.

·         A jazzy suit – preferably with Chanel on the label

·         Capri pants.  Often just worn now in summer time but the new “tulip” trousers are a great updated look

·         A turtleneck jumper. This is one of my favourites. It’s timeless and in a thinner wool fabric it can look very classy.  But then I am also a fan of the occasional polo neck and I know that society is divided on that particular matter!

·         One “what the hell item”.  Now unfortunately, I have far too many of these to the point where my husband has taken up saying this phrase far too often. In my case it could be a £40 giant corsage or a cobalt blue jumpsuit, a red tutu or a taffeta tartan skirt that I shall never wear because the waistline is only made for Twiggy BUT, what the hell.  When I fall, I fall hard.  In Audrey’s case, I imagine she was a little more sedate and probably paired something like jeans with a headscarf and said “what the hell – casual and fancy, what will they think of next”.

·         One killer dress

·         Blue jeans

·         Flats – she was a massive fan of ballet flats, probably deep-routed in a her dancing history

·         The (preferabley Hermes) scarf.  Ah the 1950’s, when it was totally normal to wear headscarves with large fly style glasses.  Think of the French Riviera and white coated waiters arriving with your Pellegrino. 

And if I had to list my essentials – this is what they would be:

·         A little red dress.  Don’t get me wrong, I love black and it will always have its place but nothing turns heads or grabs attention like a little red dress (well, long in my case).  Works everytime (unless you are a gorgeous red head then avoid it at all costs).

·         The full 1950’s style skirt.  If you are curvy they are fab but they are also lovely on skinnier women as they give the appearance of hips that aren’t there!

·         Anything in polka-dots.  Again, a classic.  Shirt, skirt, prom dress…..I love them.

·         The accordion pleat skirt.  These have been very popular in the last 18 months after Kiera Knightly was spotted in a gorgeous yellow one from Whistles.  I must admit, I probably have one in almost every colour.  All very soft, floaty fabrics.

·         A Chinese dress.  I love them and my two are both from charity shops.

·         The classic wrap dress. Think Diane Von Furstenburg or classic Halston. I am quite short but quite curvy and they just seem to suit my figure perfectly.

·         The skinny jeans.  With heels for a night out or cowboy boots for the day.  Indespensible – even if you have a fuller figure they can look great.

·         A very old denim jacket.  My favourite Gap jacket is so worn now.  She came from a charity shop about 10 years ago but I love her.  I’m always sticking brooches or corsages on her

·         A fabulous hat.  Now, I love a woman in a hat and I have several upstairs that I sadly do not wear often enough.  Perhaps due to my husband who pointed out that I looked like Miss Marple in one of them. Never the less, they can make you feel fantastic.

·         A trench-coat.  If like me you cannot afford a Burberry classic – check out the charity shops – there are lots to be found. I have a gorgeous red one that was £20 but it still had the tags on and was $220!

·         A selection of evening dresses – maxi, satin, bright colours, any colour to be honest.  My favourite thing is that absolute show stopper of a dress.  Now I know that technically you should have an occasion to wear such a piece but I am a firm believer in the art of dressing up and finding the occasion!  I used to go to a certain wine bar with my partner in Weston most Saturday nights and each week I would wear a different dress.  Most people were dressed for clubbing and I always wore a lovely (usually long) dress.  So many people used to comment on how nice I looked or how nice it was to see someone that still makes an effort.  To be honest – I was making the effort for me (and my partner at the time), but also, because I love clothes so much, I have to rotate and wear them somehow – I cannot justify them otherwise!!